Broadway Barks is a cute animated story of a stray dog and his adventure from developer CJ Educations. This iPad only app tells of a dog named Douglas and how he ends up finding a family. This would be cute addition to an eBook library.
Broadway Barks is a storybook app based on the original story by Tony-award winning actress Bernadette Peters. It tells the story of a stray dog named Douglas who lives in a park. He is befriended by a pretty lady and taken to a Broadway stage where he hopes to be adopted. After singing and dancing, a little girl decides she wants to take him home. From there on Douglas, who is now called Kramer, has a new story to tell.
The story can be read aloud or set on auto play at the start menu. Each page has automatic animations, but also one or two small reader activated animations. These small interactions keep young readers engaged in the story. There are also two other activities that can be played with. Showtime allows readers to dress up Douglas and make him dance and sing using swipes and taps. Kramer's Song is a musical section where you can hear Kramer's lullaby with lyrics and music by Bernadette Peters.
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This story is especially nice because it is based on a real charity event to help homeless pets. The story teaches young children the importance of adopting pets and keeping them safe. I really liked that the original author was involved in the development of the app. Not having seen the original book, I can only assume this makes for a seamless transition from traditional text to eBook. The small reader interactions on each page do not distract from the story, but do keep the young reader involved in the story, waiting to see what Douglas will do next.
Overall, this app will be a cute addition to your interactive book library. With a meaningful story line, and based on a real event, this book would be a great conversation starter about stray animals and the importance of taking care of our pets.
Broadway Barks is availbale for download via the iTunes App Store – iPad App
Also available for iPhone/iPod - BroadwayBarks for iPhone - CJ Educations – (2.99 US$)
This app was reviewed by Sarah Emerling, a mom, a special education teacher, and a technology coach. She is a self proclaimed nerd with a passion for incorporating technology into education and you read her findings at The iLesson Lady .
See it in action on YouTube:
Disclosure: This review was move up the waiting list priority-services. All opinions expressed are purely that of the author.
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